European Cup double 40 years on: The Viewpark lad who made Forest kings of continent
“That lad’s a bloody genius,” said legendary football manager Brian Clough.He was speaking to one of his players, Northern Irishman Martin O’Neill, but pointing in the direction of a Scotsman sitting in the team dressing room.That Scotsman was John Robertson, a left-winger born in Viewpark who Clough recognised as one of the best players in his Nottingham Forest side.Once describing the North Lanarkshire lad as “the Picasso of our game”, Clough was mesmerised by Robertson’s wizardry on the wing.But the Forest gaffer didn’t quite realise how big a role Robertson would play as the club made history by lifting the European Cup back-to-back in 1979 and 1980.It was around this time 41 years ago that Clough’s side played the first European final